College Seminar (101-7-20)

Topic

The Incredibly True Adventures of Horse Girls

Instructors

Sarah McFarland Taylor
847 4914361
Crowe hall, 4-144

Meeting Info

Shepard Hall Classroom B05: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

What does it mean that, across history and cultures, girls and young women so often seek confidence, purpose, and self-knowledge through their relationships with horses?
Marking the Year of the Horse, this seminar explores the enduring and often misunderstood figure of the "horse girl," from ancient myth to contemporary digital culture. Across societies, this figure appears repeatedly as a seeker on a journey. Horses become companions in quests for courage, belonging, meaning, independence, and self-discovery. In an era often defined by screens, isolation, and fragmented attention, the horse girl story points toward a different set of values: trust, presence, compassion, companionship, and connection across worlds and species.

We will examine horse-centered girls and women across mythology, religion, folklore, history, literature, film, and social media. Students encounter horse goddesses and prophetic riders from traditions around the world, including Amazons, Viking Valkyries, and sacred horses associated with visions, omens, and destiny. Historical figures such as Lady Godiva, Joan of Arc, Annie Oakley, and Queen Elizabeth II demonstrate the cultural power of horse women across centuries. We will also study the remarkable mounted archers and eagle hunters of Mongolia, the Mexican escaramuzas, famous cowgirls, along with iconic fictional horse heroines.

Moving into contemporary culture, the seminar examines "horse girl aesthetics" and the resurgence of equestrian imagery in fashion, music, and digital media, from the visual world surrounding Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter era to influential equestrian media accounts. Through cultural analysis, we ask why horses continue to capture the imagination today and why they remain powerful symbols of authenticity, confidence, beauty, and spiritual connection.

Readings will include memoir, cultural criticism, ethnography, fiction, and media analysis, including sociologist Jean Halley's Horse Crazy: Girls and the Lives of Horses, Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist Sarah Maslin Nir's Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love With an Animal, and Melissa Holbrook Pierson's Dark Horses and Black Beauties, alongside documentary film. We will also revisit classic adolescent horse texts and place them within larger conversations about moral imagination, independence, and the search for purpose.

The seminar places particular emphasis on writing as a mode of thinking and discovery. Students will develop analytical, research-based writing projects, while cultivating writing that explores curiosity, insight, and intellectual risk. Weekly meetings will include in-class writing designed to sharpen analytical skills and critical thinking.
Course plans (pending funding) are to include virtual visits from nationally recognized horsewomen as well as a local field visit to observe a natural horsemanship trainer who leads equine-based leadership programs for girls and young women. [Instructor recommends watching seasons 1 & 2 of the Canadian horse drama series, "Heartland," over the summer. Course not recommended for students allergic to equines.]

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives By the end of this course, students will be able to: 1. Analyze representations of "horse girls" across cultures and time: Interpret figures from mythology, history, literature, and media, identifying recurring themes of identity, agency, and transformation. 2. Explain the cultural and symbolic significance of horses: Evaluate how horses function as symbols of power, spirituality, freedom, and connection in diverse global traditions. 3. Analyze how cultural value is assigned to different forms of expression: Apply scholarly frameworks (e.g., Janet Radway) to examine why media associated with girls and women are often marginalized and how they merit serious analysis. 4. Conduct interdisciplinary research: Integrate methods from religious studies, media studies, history, and anthropology to investigate human-horse relationships. 5. Develop analytical and exploratory writing skills: Produce clear, well-argued essays alongside more reflective writing that uses writing as a tool for intellectual discovery. 6. Connect course themes to contemporary culture: Analyze current "horse girl" aesthetics and digital media to understand their ongoing cultural resonance and social meaning.

Teaching Method

Class Materials (Required)

All materials will be online

Class Attributes

WCAS College Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: REASON: Pre-registration is not allowed for this class. Please try again during regular registration. Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required